The present invention relates to a structure for connecting a shielded cable to a shield connector in which probability of occurrence of a connection failure is reduced.
FIG. 9 illustrates a related shield connector 93 to be used for connecting a shielded cable 90 to a terminal 92 of the electric equipment 91.
As shown in FIG. 10 as well, the shield connector 93 comprises a connector casing 94 having insulating property and being formed generally in L-shape, a bus bar holder 95 to be mounted to the connector casing 94, and a conductive portion 96 provided on the connector casing 94, and covers 99 and 100 for covering openings 97 and 98 of the connector casing 94.
The bus bar holder 95 includes three bus bars 101 formed by insert molding. The bus bar holder 95 is mounted to a mount opening 102 such that one end of each bus bar 101 is accommodated within the connector casing 94 and the other end of each bus bar 101 is exposed outside the connector casing 94. The conductive portion 96 is a conductive metal member formed so as to penetrate the elevating face of the connector casing 94 by insert molding, and provided with an earth cable 103 connected thereon.
The shielded cable 90 comprises a core wire 104, a covered layer 105, a shield member 106, and a sheath 107 all of which are concentrically laminated, and the end of the core wire 104 is connected to one end of the bus bar 101 via the terminal fixture 108 and to the conductive portion 96 via a conductive shield terminal 109 that cramps the shield member.
As shown in FIG. 11, the terminal fixture 108 is a strip formed by bending generally into L-shape, and provided with a crimping portion 110 to which the core wire 104 of the shielded cable 90 is connected at the proximal end thereof, and with a hole at the distal end 111 thereof to which a connecting bolt 112 is to be inserted in the direction of the thickness thereof.
On the other hand, the shield terminal 109 comprises an anchoring portion 113 generally of C-shape in cross-section for anchoring the shield member 106 exposed from the shielded cable 90, and flat fixed portions 114 provided on both circumferential ends of the anchoring portion 113. The shield terminal 109 lessens the diameter of its anchoring portion 113 to crimp the shield member 106 by screwing the fixing bolt 115 that penetrates the fixed portions 114 into the conductive portion 96, whereby the shielded cable 90 is fixed in such a manner that the distal end 111 of the terminal fixture 108 is
In the shield connector 93 as described above, after the shielded cable 90 is fixed to the conductive portion 96 of the connector casing 94 via a shield terminal 109, the bus bar holder 95 is mounted on the mount opening 102 of the connector casing 94 so that one end of each bus bar 101 is overlaid on the distal end 111 of the terminal fixture 108, and then the bus bar 101 and the terminal fixture 108 are connected via the connecting bolt 112.
In the related connector described above, since the position of the bus bar 101 is fixed, the terminal fixture 108 moves slightly toward to the bus bar 101 when the bus bar 101 and the terminal fixture 108 are connected via the connecting bolt 112.
In this example of a related connector, since the distal end 111 of the terminal fixture 108 is overlaid on the bus bar 101, the shielded cable 90 slightly moves in the longitudinal direction thereof (downward in the figure) when the bus bar 101 and the terminal fixture 108 are connected via the connecting bolt 112.
In case where the distal end 111 of the terminal fixture 108 is underlying the bus bar 101, the shielded cable 90 slightly moves in the longitudinal direction thereof (upward in the figure) when the bus bar 101 and the terminal fixture 108 are connected via the connecting bolt 112.
However, in the example of the related connector described above, since the relative position between the anchoring portion 113 and the fixed portion 114 of the shield terminal 109 is fixed, in case where the relative position between the terminal fixture 108 and the shield terminal 109 is deviated in the direction away from each other, fixing the shielded cable 90 via the shield terminal 109 isolates the distal end 111 of the terminal fixture 108 from the upper face of the bus bar 101.
In addition, in the example of the related connector described above, when the connecting bolt 112 is screwed into the bus bar 101 in such a situation, the anchoring portion 113 of the shield terminal 109 may not be able to follow the movement of the shielded cable 90, whereby the shield terminal 109 may hinder the movement of the shielded cable 90, in other words the movement of the terminal fixture 108 toward the bus bar 101, thus causing a connection failure between the bus bar 101 and the terminal fixture 108, or an earthing failure of the shield member 106 by being detached from the anchoring portion as the shielded cable 90 moves.
Likewise, in case where the distal end 111 of the terminal fixture 108 is underlying the bus bar 101, when the relative position between the terminal fixture 108 and the shield terminal 109 is deviated in the direction toward each other, there is a probability of occurrence of a connection failure between the bus bar 101 and the terminal fixture 108 or an earthing failure of the shield member 106 by being detached from the anchoring portion 113.
The invention is provided with problems described so far in view, and accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a structure for connecting a shielded cable in shield connector in which probability of occurrence of a connection failure or an earthing failure is reduced.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a connecting structure comprising:
a connector housing having a conductive portion;
a bus bar disposed in the connector housing;
a shielded cable having a core wire and a shield member for shielding the core wire;
a terminal fixture one end of which is attached to the core wire and the other end of which is fixed on the bus bar; and
a shield terminal a first end portion of which holds the shielded cable while being connected to the shield member, and a second end portion of which is fixed on the conductive portion of the connector housing, the shield terminal having a connecting member for elastically connecting the first and second end portions thereof.
While a connecting member in this example is shown to be in the shape of a plate or a shaft, any configuration may be used as far as elasticity depending on flexibility, or torsional property of this particular connecting portion can be obtained.
According to the above configuration, when the shielded cable moves in the longitudinal direction thereof with the terminal fixture fixed to the bus bar, the connecting member extends as appropriate so that the first end portion thereof can follow the movement of the shielded cable.
Therefore, since the first end portion of the shield terminal can follow the movement of the shielded cable even when the relative position between the terminal fixture and the shield terminal is displaced away from each other, the probability of occurrence of a connection failure between the bus bar and the terminal fixture or an earthing failure of the shield member maybe reduced, thereby having achieved the object described above.
Preferably, a surplusage bent portion is formed on the connecting member to realize the elasticity thereof.
The bent portion shown here may be formed generally in U-shape, Z-shape, or S-shape at a predetermined location thereof in case where the connecting member is formed of a plate, and may be formed generally in the shape of a coil spring at a predetermined location thereof in case where the connecting portion is formed of a shaft.
According to the above configuration, the bent portion of the connecting member provides a satisfactory elasticity in comparison with the case where elasticity is obtained depending on the flexibility or torsional property of the connecting member itself, thereby improving adaptability of the first end portion of the shield terminal to the shielded cable.
Preferably, the first end portion of the shield terminal is formed into a cylindrical shape through which the shielded cable is passed, and around which a collar member is fitted. The shield member of the passed shielded cable is folded back and cramped between the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion and the collar member.
According to the above configuration, even when the cylindrical portion moves following the shielded cable, the anchoring state of the cylindrical portion with respect to the shield member may be maintained, thus further lowering the probability of occurrence of an earthing failure.
Preferably, the connecting member is spaced from the: face of the connector casing on which the second end portion of the shield terminal is fixed.
According to the above configuration, expanding and bending motion of the connecting member is easily made, whereby the first end portion of the shield terminal can follow the movement of the shielded cable in the longitudinal or radial directions thereof.